Tournament Rules

Dodgeball Tournament Rules

Teams

Teams will be made up of 6-10 players.
Teams may consist of either gender, however at least two players of each gender must participate at the start of each game.
6 players will compete on a side; others will be available as substitutes.
Substitutes may enter the game only during timeouts or in the case of an injury.
If a team does not have at least 4 players present on the court 5 MINUTES after the time the game was scheduled to begin, that team automatically forfeits. The team will receive a loss for the match.
Players must be dressed appropriately to play.
- No players may wear sandals, boots or jeans while participating.

The Game

The Object of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by getting them “OUT”. This may be done by:
- Hitting an opposing player with a LIVE thrown ball below the shoulders.
  - Hits above the shoulders count as an automatic out for the person who threw the ball. The person who was hit is still in the game.
- If a player is hit by a LIVE ball rebounding off another player.
- Catching a LIVE ball thrown by your opponent before it touches the ground. A teammate from the opposing side may reenter if this happens.
Definition of LIVE: A ball that has been thrown and has not touched anything, including the floor/ground, another ball, another player, official or other item outside of the playing field (wall, ceiling, etc)

When you get “OUT”, you must sit in your teams designated chairs in the order you were hit. You must reenter the game in the order you were hit.

During play all players must remain within the boundary lines. If any part of the player's body touches the boundary lines the player is “OUT”
If you cross the half courtline at any point of the game you are OUT.
Players may not physically grab, pull and/or push another player across the centerline. This will result in an automatic OUT of the player at fault.
Players may leave the boundaries through their end-line only to retrieve stray balls.
- They must also return through their end-line.

Game Rush

Each game begins by placing the dodgeballs along the center line.
- 3 on each side of the center hash mark.
The game will only begin when all 6 balls are placed on the half court line and all players are behind the end-line.
Following a signal by the official, teams may approach the centerline to retrieve the balls.
A team may rush with as many or as few players as it wants, but at least one person from each team has to rush.
Teams may only retrieve the 3 balls to their right of the center line.
Once a ball is retrieved it must be taken behind the attack-line before it can be legally thrown.
A player can only hold one ball at a time unless he/she is the last player left on the team.

Timing and Winning a Game

The first team to legally eliminate all opposing players will be declared the game winner and given one point.
A 15 minute time limit has been established for each match.
Points earned by each team during a match will be added to their total number of wins for their pool.
If there is a tie at the end of a match, the tie will stand and team points will be added to their total number of wins.
Winning points will be totaled for each team in their pool.
- The team with the most points will be declared the pool winner and will advance to the championship bracket.
In the championship bracket the same rules apply as the pool round, except when there is a tie at the end of a match.
If teams end in a tie at the end of a match in the championship bracket, a 3-minute sudden-death overtime period will be played.
- All overtime periods will begin with an equal number of “balls in hand” behind the team's end line. The first team to eliminate any ONE opposing player will be declared the winner.
- The sudden death format continues through all extra periods.

Time-outs and Substitutions

Violations

A violation will be called if a team in the lead controls all 6 balls on their side of the court for more than 5 seconds.
- This also applies to tied teams.
Penalty for 5 – second violation(s):
- First violation: Stoppage of play and balls will be divided evenly between the teams. Play will continue with “balls in hand.”
- Second violation: One player will be OUT from the team guilty of the infraction.
- Note: The stalling procedure does not apply to overtime periods.
If an official determines that a player or team is stalling, the official will warn the player or team. If the stalling continues, at the official's discretion, the player or team will lose possession of all balls on their side.

Code of Conduct

Understand, appreciate and abide by the rules
Respect the integrity and judgment of game officials and staff.
Do not argue with officials, staff or opposing players.
Any players who wish to speak with the official must talk to their team captain. Only team captains may talk to the officials. Failure to do so may result in an unsportsmanline conduct penalty.
Respect your opponent and congratulate them in a courteous manner following each match whether in victory or defeat.
Be responsible for your actions and maintain self-control.
Do not taunt or bait opponents and refrain from using foul or abusive language.

Unsportsmanline Conduct

Any disruptive participant(s) may be given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by an official if the following occurs:
- Foul language
- Hits to the head
- Unnecessary roughness
- Arguing with the court officials, other players, or fans
- Deliberately damaging the dodgeballs, including kicking, ripping, squeezing, etc.
Penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct:
- First occurrence: a warning by the official.
- Second occurrence: the player will be forced to sit out the next round.
- Third occurrence: the player will be ejected from the match and suspended from the next match.

Rules Committee

Any issues that arise will ultimately be decided by the Accelerated Dodgeball Tournament Rules Committee.